Profile: Injuries forced McGee -- at one time a top starting rotation prospect -- into a relief role in 2010, where he has yet to find his stride. The lightning-arm'd McGee throws 97 mph with his golden left limb and profiles as a potential closer. He will likely start 2012 in middle relief, be a few trades or free agent departures could have him closing as soon as 2013. (Bradley Woodrum)

The Quick Opinion: The hard-throwing lefty looks like a solid closer prospect with the potential to sport a 3.50 or lower ERA in 2012.

Profile: In his first full season, the 26-year-old lefty dominated opposing hitters out of the Rays pen. Always talented, McGee had control issues in his early minor league years and even in 2011. He was able to harness his talents last season with a mixture of an overpowering fastball, changeup, and a sweeping slider that lead him to post the best strikeout-to-walk ratio among American League relievers (6.64) and third-best in all of baseball. Currently used in the seventh inning man/fireman role for Joe Maddon’s bullpen, McGee has future closer written all over him and that could come sooner rather than later if Fernando Rodney somehow returns to his pre-2012 form. (Erik Hahmann)

The Quick Opinion: McGee is a strikeout machine (11.87 strikeouts per nine in 2012), having posted a K/9 below double-digits just twice in his seven seasons in professional baseball.

Profile: For a while, it appeared the Rays were grooming Jake McGee -- their one-pitch lefty flamethrower phenom -- for a future closer job. But Joe Maddon, who understands bullpen usage far better than the average manager, prefers to use McGee as his left-handed fireman. While he did collect the first save of his career in 2014, McGee owners well know he posted a 4.02 ERA. The good news is that McGee also had a filthy 2.75 SIERA, to go with a still very strong 28.9% strikeout rate and 8.5% walk rate. McGee will continue to miss save opportunities in 2014 as Joel Peralta likely slides into the closer role for the Rays, but McGee should profit in the form of holds. Peralta averaged over 30 holds per season with Rays, and it would be no surprise if McGee crosses above that threshold to improve upon his career-best 27 holds, set in 2013. (@BradleyWoodrum)

The Quick Opinion: Don't fret about McGee's inflated ERA in 2013. He's a power lefty who actually handles righties better than lefties. This far-from-LOOGY lefty will likely move to a more prominent setup role in 2014 as the bullpen reshuffles. While his save opportunities will be limited, expect the 27-year-old reliever to set a new career high in holds.

Profile: Few pitchers in baseball throw harder -- or higher -- than Jake McGee. There are no secrets when the Rays closer enters the game: he's throwing the heat and he's going to elevate it. 46% of all pitches he threw in 2014 were higher than three feet off the ground, one of the highest rates in baseball (via Baseball Savant.) He's been one of the game's premier relievers over the last three seasons, and now he has the closer's title to go with it. His numbers and approach compare nicely with Sean Doolittle over this time: their strikeout differential (strikeout rate minus walk rate) are nearly identical at 25.3% and 25.2% respectively, and their home run rates are both close to 0.6 per nine innings. They represent two dominant lefties that throw almost exclusively fastballs in the upper nineties. The concern now is McGee's health, as he's set to miss the first month or so after having bodies removed from his throwing elbow. Once he's healthy, McGee's as good as any reliever in baseball. The strikeouts come fast and furious and he's the closer until new manager Kevin Cash decides he isn't. A great value as others reach for bigger names on better teams. (Drew Fairservice)

The Quick Opinion: Quietly one of the very best relievers in baseball over the past three years, Jake McGee hopes to bounce back from off-season shoulder surgery and return to his dominant form in 2015.

Profile: The elite lefty McGee has posted yet another impressive ERA, FIP, and SIERA. However, he missed a good deal of time with injuries, and as a resulted ceded the closer role to Brad Boxberger coming out of camp last season. He now finds himself in a hitter's park, in front a of a possibly bad defense, and that should no doubt reduce his statistical output. But a reliever with a 30+% strikeout rate (against both hands, no less) is going to play well in any park or uniform. The biggest concern, of course, is the health of his elbow and knee. He had a few loose bodies removed from the elbow in Spring Training and then hit the disabled list again late in the season with knee injuries. As a one-pitch guy who relies on absurd gas, McGee could be in trouble if he loses some velocity or develops chronic elbow issues. (@BradleyWoodrum)

The Quick Opinion: As long as this first double-dip into the DL was not a taste of problems to come, Jake McGee remains an elite lefty reliever with closer ability and now the closer's role to start the season in Colorado. The new park adjustment might hurt McGee's overall results, though not dramatically.